The Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has decided to come out with Goa Solid Waste Management Policy 2019 in order to take care of all kinds of waste such as medical, hazardous waste, e-waste and bio-medical waste.
A meeting of the board of directors of the Corporation chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was held on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the Chief Minister said that the new Goa Solid Waste Management Policy 2019 will be finalised soon.
“We already have solid waste treatment facility at Saligao. Likewise, the government will be setting up such plants at Cacora, Baiguinim and Verna,” Sawant said adding that Goa will be the first state in the country to treat all kinds of waste in the near future.
The Chief Minister also said that a discussion was held at the meeting on resolving the Sonsoddo garbage dump issue. He said that the meet also decided to float a fresh tender for collection of plastic waste from national highways, state highways and other district roads.
The Corporation has also agreed to put on hold the expansion of the capacity of Saligao solid waste treatment facility to 250 tonne per day until the work on the proposed garbage treatment plant at Baiguinim commences after completion of all the formalities including environmental clearance (EC) from Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, who attended the meeting, strongly objected to the expansion of the capacity of Saligao waste treatment plant till such time as the Baiguinim treatment plant gets the EC and a related tender is issued. “CM has understood my plea,” Lobo told reporters after the meeting of the Corporation.